Lena’s breath caught.His gaze landed on her instantly, and for a moment neither of them spoke.Then his eyes moved slowly over her face, as though checking she was still there.That she was still unharmed.
“You’re staring again,” he said, his voice roughened by sleep.
Heat crept into Lena’s cheeks.
“You make it difficult not to.”The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Something dark flickered behind Maksim’s eyes.He pushed himself upright slowly, wincing almost imperceptibly from his injuries.Even hurt, he looked unfairly imposing.
Lena looked away before her thoughts betrayed her further.Maksim noticed anyway.She could feel his amusement.
“I should probably be offended you’re objectifying your captor,” he murmured.
“You kidnapped me.I think I earned a few stares,” Lena pointed out.
That low almost-smile appeared again briefly.
It changed his face too much, and softened it in dangerous ways.
Lena hated how much she liked seeing it.Maksim stood and moved toward the tiny kitchen area, slower than usual because of his injuries.She watched him fill the kettle one-handed before lighting a cigarette by the sink.
Smoke curled lazily through the muted morning light.The apartment was quiet except for the hum of old pipes and distant city noise somewhere outside.
Strangely, the silence between them no longer felt suffocating.That realization frightened Lena almost as much as the attraction growing between them.
She should still hate him.Hell, she ought to still be searching constantly for escape routes and weaknesses, but right now, that was the last thing she wanted to do.
Maksim handed her a mug of coffee without a word.His fingers brushed hers briefly in the exchange.They felt warm, rough, and admittedly a little nice.The touch lingered longer than it should have.
“Your wrist,” he said quietly, noticing the bruising left from the kidnapping.
Before she could react, he reached for her hand gently.Lena’s pulse skipped traitorously as he brushed his thumb against the darkening marks there.His expression hardened immediately at the sight.
“They hurt you.”The words came dangerously flat.
“They tried to kidnap me,” Lena pointed out softly.“I think hurting me was implied.”
Something cold moved behind his eyes again.
“They shouldn’t have touched you,” he said.
Heat bloomed through her chest at the possessiveness in his voice.She absolutely should not like that, and yet she undeniably did.
Maksim released her wrist slowly, though his fingers lingered for one unnecessary second.
“You should eat,” he said.
“You always feed me after traumatic experiences,” she pointed out.
“You complain less while chewing.”She laughed before she could stop herself, and the sound startled both of them, because it sounded absurdly normal.
Maksim stared at her for a second too long after the laugh faded.Something unreadable crossed his face.Lena looked down quickly, suddenly hyperaware of the intimacy building quietly between them.
It wasn’t just attraction anymore.That would have been easier.This was becoming familiarity, dependency.Something warmer and infinitely more dangerous.
The kettle hissed softly behind them.Maksim leaned against the counter, watching her over the rim of his coffee cup.
“You were scared,” he said suddenly.